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6/29/12

Ardo? A few months ago we bought Ardo this sweet find at Target. Target has a great selection for little boy clothes. Well the kind of clothes I like to dress my little boy in. Below is a little photo shoot with Ardo, his Waldo shirt, and mommys thoughts on what he must be thinking (one of my favorite things to do!)

6/27/12

A little event that also took place over the weekend is the $100 weight loss bet. Jerry and a few friends thought of a biggest loser challenge that all of us could participate in. $100 to enter and we have 10 weeks to lose as much weight/body fat as possible. There is 12 of us competing 5 boys and 7 girls. Initially we were going to have every man for himself, but after much (much, much) debate, we all decided on girls against girls and boys against boys. We were all weighed in, had our picture taken and given exact rules and regulations, now the challenge has begun. Over the next couple months I will be cooking (and sharing) the healthiest meals I can find. The money that is up for grabs (for the girls 1st place is $500 and second place is $200) is a great motivation to lose the weight, but for me, honestly, the reward would be to hop on the scale and it read my prepregnancy weight, or maybe even a pound or two less than that. Win or lose the competition that would be such a win for me. Its been 7 months since Ive been actively trying to lose the last 10lbs of this baby weight. Ive lost 6 and I have just 4 to go...but the last 4 will probably be the death of me...okay not really, but its gonna be haaaard. Here's hoping!
In the spirit of our biggest loser, Jerry and I made a very yuuuummy (I literally cannot get over how good it was) taco salad. If you'd like to try it and I highly suggest you do, you can find the entire recipe here.
:: Just a tip I found to be useful, using greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt. This is the second time Ive made my own dressing and last time my dressing was much more bland, last time I used regular yogurt, I also used my blender and blended all the ingredients to a nice salad dressing texture instead of just whipping, worked so perfectly! ::

6/26/12

As Ive mentioned before we recently moved into our own place. I guess the previous tenants had a little bit of a delay in changing their address and because of this we received two "Good Eating" magazines. I never get cooking magazines, I mean everything is available free online, so I guess I dont see the point. HOWEVER, I decided to take a peek at these magazines since they came to my house and all, while browsing through them and contemplating whether to send them back to the rightful owner or not I came across a coconut crusted chicken recipe. Hmmm knowing Jerry isnt a huge fan of coconut I had to think whether or not this was worth trying. But then I remembered wait, I like coconut so decided one little coconut chicken wasnt going to hurt him, maybe it would even convert him. Im so glad I did, it was amazing!! I gave Jerry a Papa size piece of chicken and he ate the entire thing! For someone who doesnt like coconut he sure enjoyed this. I also made a bite size piece for Ardo. We had asparagus on the side and the two complimented each other very well. The recipe called for a mango chutney side sauce, if you know me you know I always do what the recipe says first, once Ive tried a recipe then I decide if I want to take something out, add something and so on. If you arent one for sauces, you might be thinking you could skip the mango chutney, DONT, the chutney really brings the flavor out of the chicken. Mmmm writing this post is making hungry all over again! Since I cant link the recipe Ive decided to write it out in case you want to try it.

Directions
Heat over to 375 degrees, Spray large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine the panko, coconut and melted butter into a wide bowl
mix egg and milks
Sprinkle chicken with salt, dip into egg and milk mixture, roll in coconut mixture pressing in the coating completely. Place on baking sheet pressing an excess coconut mixture over chicken
Bake 20 to 25 minutes (I did 30 minutes and it was perfect)
Meanwhile combine the chutney and mayonaise in small bowl and serve with chicken...Enjoy!

::disclaimer this recipe is not my own and came out of "good eating" magazine, however the pictures are mine, and the little tidbits I added::

6/25/12

We had a very eventful weekend. One of those events happened to be swimming! So on this edition of My Buddy Mondays our buddy is............the swimming pool!! Over the weekend Abues (Jerrys mom) had her birthday bbq, and Ardo was able to go swimming. First mommy had to sunblock his little body from head to toe, (this mama does not mess around with his delicate skin and those harsh rays) and then Ardo and Daddy had some bonding time pool side (this mama is also not ready for bikini time, hopefully someday soon). Now that Ardo is 14 months, he can really enjoy the water, splashing with daddy splashing at those of us not swimming, insisting on taking off his pool hat a million time, you know...real fun. My only wish was that it was as hot on Saturday as it was on Sunday. Hopefully next time those temps are switched and Ardo can have more fun in the sun. Next stop the real beach....hes about ready...again.

6/24/12

Saturday we had a first haircut experience. I dont know what I was expecting for his first haircut. Maybe lots of screaming and him trying to bite the stylist. That might sound a little extreme but toddlers always seem to surprise you. But surprise us he did with his excellent sweet behavior. He sat there and let the stylist do what she needed, it was over in about 15 minutes and we all left very happy, and one of us with a very stylish do. (okay maybe we bribed him a little bit with fishys and milk, but nonetheless he was a good boy) Im sure hoping this wasnt just first hair "trim" luck. We plan of visiting every couple months...sooo fingers crossed each visit goes as successful as this first one.
On a sidenote:: our stylist let me in on some words choices all parents should know. I kept telling Ardo "okay stay still so she can cut your hair" The stylist said "Mom, we dont use "cut", because children associate cuts with being hurt, so they may think getting a haircut will hurt and they wont want too or may be scared, so instead we use "trim". Um, did someone say genius?

6/22/12

As Ive mentioned, my sister Mariah graduated from high school last week. A few days ago we went to visit our Grandma Luz and Ardo's GG (great-grandma). As a special treat we brought Mariahs cap and gown so we could reenact Mariahs graduation day. Grannys not as mobile as she used to be and wasnt able to attend the graduation. After taking some pictures with Mariah, my sisters and I thought it would be HIGH-LARIOUS to put the cap on grandma and then continue our photo shoot. Shes such a good sport. Happy Friday!

6/20/12

I didnt pin this cause Jerry found it and I didnt want to steal his thunder. Jerry watches "The Chew" on his lunch breaks,and will sometimes come home talking about what we should make, so on Monday we did just that and when I say we I actually mean both Jerry and I made the most delicious linguine with jalapeno pesto sauce. Im so proud at the job we've been doing cooking at home, making new recipes, sometimes healthy, sometimes.....not so much. Although I have to say no matter what I make I always feel the food is a little healthier than if we would have ordered in. Maybe because I know EXACTLY whats going into each recipe I automatically feel better. The jalapeno pesto sauce was a lot spicer than I anticipated. Yes we used jalapeno but we cored and seeded before blending so I figured maybe a little kick, but we got a big kick. Jerry and I both decided next time instead of 6 jalapenos and peppers we'll do 4, we dont need that big of kick. If you'd like to try the recipe you can find it here. Hope you enjoy as much as we did. On a sidenote if youre in a hurry this a great perfect I think from start to finish it took a total of 30 minutes.

jalapenos, peppers and garlic, before and after

after cutting ready to be blended, then we started on the linguine

after blending and making the linguine, heat up the pesto sauce then just mix together. After that finished and ready for consumption!!

6/19/12

I am the second oldest in my family, and the youngest of the 4 of us graduated on Thursday. Graduated, as in out of high school and ready (kinda) for the real world. My youngest sister Mariah, went to the same high school the 4 of us went too. So being there for her graduation brought back so many memories. Its a really weird feeling sitting in the audience with my son, watching the youngest of us graduate. I couldnt help but remember, I came to see her the day she was born, I helped change her first diaper and MANY MANY more after that. I witnessed her first steps. I was 10 when my Mariah was born. She was the first baby Id ever seen grow up from in the womb to now (except now for Ardo, of course). Sitting there with my own son made me think one day Ill be back (maybe even back at that very same high school), but what feelings would I feel. I imagined it would be so similar but maybe even more overwhelming. I was so proud of her and Im just her sister. It was so fun and I have to admit I love graduations (as long as they arent boring)the speeches are always inspirational, the thoughts of innocence and spirit and anxiousness for the future makes me feel happy for the kids and there new endeavors. Congratulations to the Graduate!!

I just had to put this last picture in, it started to get a little cold while we were taking pictures and being the worlds best mom ever, I forgot a sweater for Ardo, he didnt mind one bit tho. Uncle Gabe was holding him and everytime the wind blew, Ardo screamed at the top of his lungs and then cracked up laughing. Oh my little guy and his crazy screams!

6/18/12

On this edition of My Buddy Mondays, our buddy is...........DADDY of course. Ardo is so very lucky to have Jerry as his Daddy. As far as Dads go Jerry is the bees knees. Hes the right mix of Love and Fun and possible Daddy discipline (although since Ardo is 13 months the discipline isnt needed too much at this point) You know sometimes you meet someone and you can just know how they are going to be as a Daddy, I felt that when Jerry and I made our relationship official. He has the kindest soul that was destined for fatherhood. I can remember us having the "family" conversation on my second trip out to Alabama, when I asked him "Do you want kids one day?" his response "YES!!" mmhmm it was meant to be. Im so happy to honor such a wonderous guy, my guy and Ardo's Daddy. Happy Fathers Day!

And in the art of this blog, here are some pictures to share what our day was like...

For Fathers Day Daddy got a mixture of books from Ardo, and one of Jerrys most favorite beers of all time. Since they dont sell Yuengling on the west coast, Mama had to do a little digging to find it, the happy surprised look on his face was well worth it.

Beer Pops to keep with the theme, thanks again Julie!
Daddy and Ardo giving a Atticus a bath, in our home, Daddy duty
and a sweet picture at our little picnic.

6/13/12

Over the weekend we went to Auntie Mai and Uncle Pat's house. They invited us to the beach club they are apart of for a little bbq. Ive been excited to take Ardo for a dip in a pool. He hasnt been swimming since last summer at the tender age of 4 months old, so at 13 months he was ready for some real swimming!! To my surprise, the beach club was exactly that....a beach in a club. Sand surrounded the shallow pool. I was in awe of how perfect it was for a 13 month old. Sand to play in, shallow waters, but no huge waves to come and sweep my little boo away. Just the perfect set up for a great day!
Daddy and Ardo had the best time in the water. I love seeing those two together. They have a father-son bond that is just theirs. Something I cant touch, but enjoy watching-with my camera! It was such a fun day, and because Auntie Mai and Uncle Pat live an hour away, it was a little vacation for us. (Ill let the judgmental how old is your son and he doesnt walk yet remark go. He will walk when he is ready: and hes almost ready, so chill) Oh just a little sidenote when planning a bbq, expect everyone to bring fruit! They will!!

6/11/12

Hello All and Happy Monday. On this addition of My Buddy Mondays, our Buddy is........The New Bathtub!! Since Ardo was born he has had a love-hate-love relationship with the bath. His very first sponge bath he screeeeamed in the hospital (he was NOT a fan). I can remember the first few months of his life when we started bathing him in his baby bath I would tell Jerrys siblings "Im going to give the baby a bath and hes gonna scream, so dont be alarmed". But now he absolutely LOOOVES the bath. He cant get enough, sometimes I think he gets really dirty on purpose. Last week, Ardo had his first bath in his brand new big boy bathtub. A grown up bathtub!! We learned the hard way this weekend that having a bath mat is imperative to his happiness. Uncle Pat and Auntie Mai dont have a bath mat and someone screamed his head off. Our bedtime routine is exactly that, a routine, and daddy and I are enjoying it.

Sometimes Goliath gets in there and watches his little brother take a bath. As long as Goliath isnt next, hes a happy camper =)

6/10/12

I pinned chocolate mousse, and then I made it. I couldn't get over how easy it is to make. The recipe says you can use this as icing for cupcakes. Done and Done. Since Jerry doesnt eat too much chocolate at our house, I have a looot to eat, oh poor me (not-so-poor-me-I-LOVE-CHOCOLATE!). If you would like to follow me on pinterest you can here. (You can also find the recipe for this mousse too)

6/7/12

In keeping with our make-every-meal-ourselves week, today was vegan burgers!! Im not vegan but what I love about vegan recipes is VEEEEEGGIES. News to me that a patty made mainly out of sweet potato and beans could be so dang good. I made some pattys for all three of us but unfortunately after they were finished I realized I may have used just a little too much cajun seasoning and Jerry and I decided it was just a little too spicy for Ardo. Eventho that child is full blood mexican and should have tapatio running through his veins, Im a mom and hes my booboo so we'll ease him into the spices. Jerry and I however ate them and they were so good. I couldnt get over how tasty they were. Did they taste like meat? No, of course they didnt cause it wasnt meat. Was it good? ABSOLUTELY!! When Jerry likes something that is considered "vegan" I know I did something right. Im so happy, our first week in our new home and we cooked every night. Im sure we arent going to cook tomorrow considering its Friday and thats the weekend (well its not but we need a night off) so Im not stressin it. I found the recipe for the vegan pattys on pinterest. Like I said before Ive been pinning a lot lately, but not just pinning, DOING! Right now theres no greater feeling than pinning something and then making it. You can find the recipe for the yummy vegan pattys here. My picture below isnt nearly as good as the pictures in the recipe, but thats okay Im still so proud.

6/5/12

Last night I made our very first dinner in our new place. Did someone say chicken pitas?? I've been pinning like crazy since we got our new place for healthy dinner ideas. Of course we're going to order in here and there, but for now since Im motivated, Im going to try and cook as much as possible. When looking for recipes I have two things in mind. 1. healthy 2. as quick as possible. Chicken Pitas (you can find the recipe here) took 30 minutes from beginning to end and with only 500 calories - guiltless! Jerry is the ultimate judge because hes the one Im really cooking for, and the verdict is....yummy. The only thing is I couldnt find gram masala, so I substituted with chili powder. It was still good but I was hoping for more of a little kick so I think next time if I cant find gram masala Ill use curry powder. But, cook and learn.

6/4/12

Im so excited to share that we (as in me Jerry and Ardo) have moved!!! We found a little place that we can now call our very own. We tried our best to move as much as we can but then Ardo got so sick we werent able to do all we wanted. Now that Ardo is feeling a million times better we're are almost all moved in. I say almost because there are a few little odds and ends we need to pick up and pack up but just a little. The bulk is finally done. Its going to take a while for us to be settled but little by little we'll get there. Ardo now has his very own room, which I LOVE!! I didnt know how I would feel about it because Ive been sleeping next to him for a year and its been so easy I thought maybe I wouldnt like it but with him taking a 2 1/2 hour nap yesterday so very soundly, I think I love it.

So today is Monday but with us officially moving and trying to get everything settled and in place I dont have a My Buddy Mondays. Id rather have My Buddy Mondays be authentic and well thought out and not My Buddy Thursdays, so in lieu of a My Buddy Mondays I have a few desires for my PIG KITCHEN! Ive collected pigs since I was 5 years old. I had an ENORMOUS collection growing up. Then as I got older and started moving around I had no choice but to box up my pigs, never giving any away just waiting for the time I had my own kitchen. Well I suppose that time is now. I have quite a few things (I cant wait to share) to start but I want to completely pig it out. While browsing online and when I say browsing I mean specifically looking for items to pig out my kitchen I came across these must haves. One by one they shall become part of my collection...yes they shall....!

6/2/12

Okay Im behind on a few Saturdays, however, this was so exciting I just had to talk about it. A couple weeks my baby sister. The youngest of us four went to PROM!!! I cant believe, how can my youngest sister, the newborn baby I met at ten years old be 18 and have went to prom. Its insane to me. A month ago or so my sisters and I took a trip to The Alleys (which can be seen here) to find Mariah a prom dress. We were very successful. Not just a dress but a deal at that. And just a couple Saturdays ago she put it to good use. I still cant believe it. This is actually the last time Im going to go through this with a sister. Im 10 years older than Mariah so for this day to be here......I have no words, but I do have pictures!!!! oh just a note: I didnt comb my hair at all, so if it looks horrendous, well thats why.
I decided to only 2 before pictures that arent so bad because well Mariah is 18 afterall and Id hate to embarrass the young adult.